Swiss climber Nina Caprez talks about her recent trip to Lebanon where she joined up with the non-profit organisation ClimbAID to bring climbing to Syrian refugees and Lebanese youth affected by the war.

Slovenians Aleš Česen and Luka Stražar and Briton Tom Livingstone have climbed Latok I (7145 m) in the Karakorum (Pakistan) via the coveted North Ridge, recognised as one of the last major unclimbed lines in high-altitude mountaineering.

The Youth Climbing World Championships are currently taking place in Moscow, Russia. Laura Rogora from Italy and Sam Avezou from France have been crowned Youth A Bouldering World Champions, while Ekaterina Barashchuk from Russia and Gian Luca Zodda from Italy have been crowned Speed World Champions in the Juniors category.

On Castello di Vallesinella in the Brenta Dolomites Giorgio Pirovano, Nicola Castagna and Sara Ongari established Agrodolce, a new 6-pitch rock climb first ascended ground-up, onsight, with bolts only at the belays and difficulties up to grade VII.

German climber Daniel Jung has made the first repeat of Recovery drink, the difficult trad climb on the Profilveggen wall at Jøssingfjord in Norway. First ascended in 2013 by Nicolas Favresse, the route had foiled some of the best crack climbers in the world.

On 6 August 2018 French mountaineer Mathieu Maynadier was hit by rockfall while on an climbing expedition in the Tagas Valley in Pakistan’s Karakorum with Nicolas Favresse, Carlos Molina and Jean-Louis Wertz. Maynadier was taken to Skardu military hospital by helicopter where his condition is far better than initially feared. He will be repatriated to France this week.

Over a four-day period in August 2016 Simon Gietl and Andrea Oberbacher made the first ascent, ground-up, of Stigmata, a multi-pitch rock climb up Heiligkreuzkofel / Sass de la Crusc in the Dolomites freed by the duo on 17/07/2017 with difficulties up to X-.

Three ascents have been selected for the Piolets d'Or 2018: Gasherbrum I climbed by Zdeněk Hák and Marek Holeček, Shispare climbed by Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima and Nuptse NW climbed by Frédéric Degoulet, Benjamin Guigonnet and Hélias Millerioux. Special mentions have been awarded for the ascent of Nilkanth by Chantel Astorga, Anne Gilbert Chase and Jason Thompson and also to Alex Honnold for his outstanding contribution to climbing in the year 2017. Andrej Štremfelj to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.